


Dressing

by unwindmyself



Series: curious shapes shift in the dark [113]
Category: True Blood
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Banter, Dress Up, F/F, F/M, Fix-It, Gen, Making Out, Plans, Subterfuge, agency and choices!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-05
Updated: 2015-12-05
Packaged: 2018-05-05 01:40:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,095
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5356193
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unwindmyself/pseuds/unwindmyself
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When night falls, the group begins putting their plan into action.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dressing

**Author's Note:**

> Part five, "Love Interruption."
> 
>  **Original Characters** : Ghaliya Kazdaghli, Asra Amirmoez, Claudie Crane, Claudwina Crane, Claudia Crane, Devi Avninder.

When Ghaliya and Asra step outside, it’s all of two minutes past nightfall and Warlow appears out of nowhere almost instantly, silently glowering in an attempting to be menacing.

“Relax, loverboy,” Ghaliya groans, hoisting the pocket-sized pistol she’s been in the habit of carrying since the raucous 1920s.  “We’re just going out to get some things for the wedding.”

“The - what?” Warlow sputters, more fazed by the word than the gun casually aimed at his heart.

“The wedding, _cher_ ,” Asra deadpans.  “Your precious _oh Susanna_ has consented to be your bride, didn’t you know?”  She raises a coy eyebrow.

“I most certainly did not,” Warlow exclaims, affronted.

Ghaliya and Asra glance at each other, and Asra beams as she replies, “I expect that’s what you get for not exchanging cell phone numbers.”

“I suspect she’s still with her family getting ready, then,” Ghaliya says lightly.  “She has so few blood relatives, after all, she had to turn to who she could.”  It’s a pointed statement, based on what details she’s been given, and she’s pleased to note that it actually does cause a regretful expression to cross his face for a whole two seconds.

“Where are they?” he asks once that remorse has faded.

Asra shrugs.  “Don’t you know it’s bad luck to see the bride before the wedding?” she asks evasively.

“It’s a foolish human tradition,” Ghaliya says cheerfully, “but what are you going to do?  The poor lamb.”

“When will she return?” Warlow asks.

“Be back here by midnight, and the ceremony will commence,” Ghaliya tells him.

 

* * *

 

“Are you sure I can borrow this?” Sookie asks doubtfully, gazing down at the filmy white gown in her hands.  “It’s probably gonna get ruined in the whole… fray.”

Claudette giggles.  “This antique maidenly thing?” she asks.  “Of course.  I’m certainly never going to wear it again.”

“Besides,” Claudie adds playfully, “a proper fairy wedding ought to have a proper fairy gown, so the same should be true of an improper fairy wedding.”

“We’ll want it to look proper, anyhow,” Claudija shrugs.

“Do I gotta fancy up too?” Jason asks, shuffling his feet.

Claudia grins.  “Wear a suit,” she says, “and I’ve made crowns for everyone.  Lilies, for our lily.”  She smiles at Sookie and hands them what appears to be an overlarge shopping bag full of the things.

“They’ll multiply as they’re needed,” Claudwina adds.  “So all of your party can be easily marked.”

Jason pulls a face, but before he has a chance to complain, she girls and Devi all run back in, clutching sparkly, frothy dresses.  “Oh my god,” Charlaine exclaims, “thank y’all for these, seriously.”

“Of course,” Maurella says.  “It’s very important that you look your ostentatious, questionably moral best tonight.”

“Thanks, Mom,” Adilyn says wryly, rolling her eyes at Devi.

“It really means a lot,” Devi adds.

“Plus, you let us get away with so much more than Dad, it’s kinda fun,” Braelyn says.

“That’s to be expected,” Maurella smirks.

“Charming.  Now go on,” Claude says.  “Go and ready yourselves.  We will be in wait.”

 

* * *

 

“I never imagined this much fancy dress went with bein’ a vampire,” Tara says, weaving her hair into tiny braids.

“When you’re around forever, you amass wealth, and wealth comes with fancy dress,” Pam says.  “Which is not strictly speaking a consideration here, but then again, we are going to a royal wedding.  Have you heard from the babies about their dresses yet, little sister?”

“Not yet,” Willa says.  “Pictures take longer to send.  Why do you need to see what they’re wearing, anyway?”

Pam rolls her eyes.  “If they’re our bitsy petgirls, we can’t be clashing,” she explains, in a voice like it’s the most obvious fact in the world.

Willa wrinkles her nose, but she shrugs half-heartedly.  “United front and all?  Aesthetics?”

“I’m so glad you’re a quick learner,” Pam replies.  “Lemme fix your hair, _someone_ insisted on doing her own and my hands are bored.”

 

* * *

 

“Get started without me?” Jessica teases, walking into the bedroom and seeing Eric and Nora, both stripped to their underwear (or, she realizes, Eric’s lack thereof), making out almost violently.  As soon as Willa heard from the girls, she’d gone to pick her dress, and of course she’d gotten caught up giggling with her sister-cousins while the siblings had been tending to other, less seemingly frivolous matters, allegedly.

Nora lets out a whimper as Eric pulls back and smirks.  “Someone is getting anxious,” he explains, patting Nora’s head with a patronizing air that makes her growl and turn to nip at his hand.

“Asshole,” she says.  “I’m all for helping, but this is -”

“Like inviting a recovering alcoholic to a wine tasting, I know,” Eric interjects.  “You’ve said that.”

“Potentially, yes, it is,” Nora says.  “It’s not _likely_ that I’m going to be exposed to his blood, but if I am…”

“Shit,” Jessica says.

“I can’t very well just… skip the big fight,” Nora mumbles.  “I’m just… considering outcomes.”

“You want me to keep a stash of silver ready or somethin’?” Jessica asks.

“Well, we ought to have one on hand to fuck Warlow up anyway, actually,” Nora muses, “but you have to promise me that you won’t let me hurt anyone I’m not supposed to, all right?”

“I promise,” Jessica says.  “Are you gonna get dressed ever?”  It’s a joke, meant to lighten the mood.

Eric nods.  “Get your dress on, _syster_ , and I’ll do your hair like your horror-story fairytale.”

Jessica giggles.  “Do mine first, while she’s gettin’ dressed,” she suggests, lifting the hem of her dress and flouncing over to the dressing table she insisted they install.

“Very well,” Eric says, and he oh-so-gently shoves Nora off his lap.  “Up, _min kära_.”

Nora heaves a sigh, but she moves for the closet.  (It’s good fortune, she figures, that they all left more formal options at the Compton place in case their guests for the _planned_ soiree erred on the fancier side of things.  Now it’s wedding attire.)  “He’s like to have amassed minions,” she says over her shoulder.  “At least, a few, at least just to fill his side so it’s somewhat occupied.”

“I doubt he’s got friends to fill that role, so he’ll have to make some,” Eric agrees gamely.  “That does seem to be his forte.”  As he says this, he’s speedily plaiting Jessica’s hair, coiling braids around the crown of her head.

“He’ll want to observe the formalities,” Nora muses, finally selecting a purple gown (it’s reminiscent of days past).  “It suits his notion that this is preordained.”

“Simpleminded fool,” Eric declares.


End file.
